Game: Sega Classics Collection
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: D3 Publisher/Sega
Release Date: 22nd March 2005
In 2003 Sega struck a deal to work in conjunction with D3 Publisher (who produced such titles as The Sniper 2) to produce "3D AGES" budget remakes of classic Sega titles which would sell for 2500 yen. This meant that what would have been a rather strange collection of Mega Drive and arcade classics became a series of remade games, in 3D for the PS2. Sega can't have been particularly happy with the outcome as D3 Publisher 's involvement ended after 15 of the 33 games in the series, but 8 of the games they did help to make made their way onto the Sega Classics Collection.
The 8 games that were included in the collection are; Columns, Outrun, Golden Axe, Virtua Racing, Monaco GP, Fantasy Zone, Bonanza Bros. (inc. Tant-R), and Space Harrier. Whether or not you're familiar with these titles, they had a fair amount of success in arcades and on home consoles, both in Japan and abroad. When I purchased this game, I wasn't aware of the fact that D3 publisher had been involved (although I could tell that the games were updated version), nor had I played many of the original versions of them. Having done so now, I'll be comparing these updated versions with their original counterparts and passing judgement on the collection as a whole.
Columns
The Mega Drive version of Columns was an exercise in puzzle game simplicity, with a concept loosely based on Tetris, which involved matching up coloured gems to clear them from a "well". Players could play endlessly, or solve puzzles in Flash Columns Mode to uncover a particular gem at the bottom of a well. The 3D Ages version included on the Classics Collection has Endless Mode, Vs. CPU and Vs. 2P. In Endless Mode, players are allowed to use either "classic" visuals which look less detailed and generally worse than the original game, or "updated" visuals (as above) where the gems spin so that they're in 3 dimensions.
In Vs. CPU Mode, story based cutscenes play inbetween stages, mapping the theft of the columns gems. At the end of each cutscene the player is challenged to a round of Columns by different characters, and the further the player progresses, the longer each character will last in a battle to outlast the other competitor. As the game level goes up for both players and the enemy, it becomes harder to stay in the game. Vs. 2P mode plays like a single level of Vs. CPU, with two players as you'd expect it to.
Overall there's not been much added to the game save for the storyline in Vs. CPU mode which is repetitive at the best of times. The removal of Flash Columns Mode and the apparent downgrade in graphics don't do the game many favours either. I don't see many reasons for this game to exist when the original Columns plays and looks nicer, but if you've not got a Mega Drive it's something that you can make do with.
Rating: 5/10
Outrun
Possibly the best known of the games featured on this collection, Outrun is a straightforward checkpoint driving game where the goal is to reach the end of the race as fast a possible. Originally an arcade title, the game features a timer which counts down as the player attempts to reach the end. Although beating the timer was difficult it wasn't impossible in the early versions and driving well would usually leave enough time to get to the next checkpoint.
The handling on the 3D AGES version of this game is the first thing seasoned players will notice. It's very stiff and even if set to "sharp", it feels as if you don't have full control. Where later games in the series would allow you to drift, this version simply has a tire smoke effect, should you attempt anything like that. Arcade Mode features the regular setup of one stage, branching out to reveal 5 finish lines over the course. Arrange Mode features rival cars and a diamond stage setup, and Time Attack Mode seems to be much the same as Arcade Mode, but on either track.
The music is the most enjoyable part of this version of Outrun, with both the original soundtrack and arrange versions included. Other than that, poor graphics and controls really let the game down and make it almost impossible to finish a course in any mode, even with the maximum amount of time on the clock at the start. If you're looking for a more enjoyable version, I'd suggest Outrun 2SP.
Rating: 5/10
Golden Axe
Golden Axe is one of the most famous Fantasy Beat 'Em Up games of the Mega Drive era (and there were a lot). You play as one of three characters and beat the stuffing out of lots of enemies who eventually lead to bosses. It's the classic Beat 'Em Up formula. In the 3D AGES version of the game, an introduction story cutscene has been added and the stages have been elongated somewhat.
Although the original game only had two attacks, magic and a jump button, the updated version feels like it suffers from a lack of moves from the outset, as well as difficult 3D positioning of enemies and whether or not your attacks will hit them. The stages sometimes end randomly after you defeat the last of the enemies in an area and other times there'll be bosses. While it follows the same sort of route as the original, the stages end up being so long that they're boring.
The graphics and music are pretty mediocre and give off neither the retro charm of the original game nor wonder at the improvement that an updated game should have. All in all you're better off playing the original Golden Axe if you want any sense of personality from the game.
Rating: 3/10
Virtua Racing
Using 3D polygonal graphics on the Mega Drive, Virtua Racing was ahead of its time in a lot of ways. Unfortunately though, by the time the 3D AGES version was released, games like Gran Turismo 3, Project Gotham Racing and countless other titles had taken the racing genre a lot further. The graphics on the new version have been updated to reflect the arcade version but it's nowhere near impressive.
The controls and handling feel very retro in that the car is mostly controlled via sliding around corners after braking slightly. Grand Prix Mode gives the player 6 courses to race on and some unlockables for winning although it's far too easy to win nearly every race. Arcade Mode and Free Mode offer fairly short single race/practice experiences and the Two Player Mode is a nice addition.
While this is a pretty solid version of the original game, it's nothing much compared to newer racers. There's sporadic bits of music when the player passes through a checkpoint but not otherwise, and overall it seems very thrown together. If anything this game highlights both the mediocrity and redundancy of the collection as a whole.
Rating: 6/10
Monaco GP
The term "classic" may be stretched a little when used to describe the original Monaco GP arcade game by Sega. A top down racer where the crashes would often occur between the player and racers in front of them due to lack of any sort of view ahead of the car, it also made some of the most horrendous noises to ever come out of an arcade machine. For some reason this was the second game to be released as an updated standalone version.
Arcade Mode tasks the player with accruing 20,000 points before a timer runs out. There's a choice of tracks and cars but all of them will usually find the player crashing into other cars on the track due to the lack of view and the fact that many of the CPU cars get entangled in crashes even without your help. There's a choice of classic or updated controls but both feel pretty poor and gameplay doesn't improve from one to the other.
The graphics have improved from the 1979 original arcade game, but only slightly. Overall this is a pretty baffling inclusion on the collection as a whole. It doesn't control well and even if it did, the concept isn't particularly fun. In my view this is the worst game on the collection.
Rating: 2/10
Fantasy Zone
Fantasy Zone is a brightly coloured shoot 'em up which was released in arcades and on the Sega Master System. The game maintained a high level of difficulty which could result in the player losing a life in the opening seconds of a stage, or as they came out of the in game shop. The aim of the game is to destroy all of the bases in each stage and then fight the boss.
There are two modes to choose from in the 3D AGES version; arcade and normal, although the only difference between them seems to be stages in which the player can chase the boss, once they have defeated it for coins. This means that normal mode gives far more coins than arcade mode and thus is slightly easier. The controls and gameplay are fairly good and feel close to that of the original game. The changes that have been made to the game work well and help to improve the overall gameplay.
The music in this version is also enjoyable and although the shop doesn't have as many weapons to purchase as that of the original game, the unlockables and extra features included in this version almost make up for that. While it's not an absolutely perfect version of the game, it's a good attempt and can be enjoyable even for Fantasy Zone fans.
Rating: 8/10
Bonanza Bros
Bonanza Bros. is a shooting platformer where you're tasked with stealing items from casinos, mansions and banks (if the Japanese storyline is to be believed), or tasked with 'recovering evidence' from crooked casinos and banks (if the western storyline is correct). In the 3D AGES version it's the latter, at least according to the storyline that flashes up before the game begins.
The simple controls of the original game translate well onto the PS2 and it's generally pretty fun, although only because the original concept was. The difficulty level can be a bit extreme at times (even when set to easy) but with some observations and logic skills it's not too much of a problem overall.
The graphics of the game are probably the best update of the collection as the game was in a cartoon style originally and now looks sharper. Unfortunately it does feel like only the graphics have changed and it may as well be the Mega Drive version of the game in your console, in terms of gameplay.
Rating: 7/10
Tant-R
The minigames are varied and fun, ranging from counting the number of people on a train to stopping a speeding car from flying over the edge of a cliff. Although the games do repeat every now and then when playing story mode, if you're new to the puzzles they can still be a lot of fun. There's also a 2-4 Player Mode included to turn the minigames into competitive battles for points.
Overall this seems to be one of the most compelling arguments for picking up this game. As Tant-R was only released in Japan, its the only real completely new game to western gamers on the whole collection. It's also fun and doesn't take itself too seriously; the concept works well and the puzzles are challenging and well designed.
Rating: 8/10
Space Harrier
The original Space Harrier was a fun shoot 'em up which featured hordes of enemies flying towards you, all guns blazing. The enemies were strange characters and shapes and the levels were bright and colourful, sometimes to the point of being painful to look at. While the brightness of the levels may have been toned down a little for the 3D AGES version, the enemies are still as brilliant and wacky as ever.
The game controls nicely with the d-pad and you're allowed to fire as fast as you like with the square button. Some power-ups have been added to make things slightly easier as the original games could be punishingly difficult at times. This seems to have tipped the balance a little too far onto the easy side of things but it's fun to be able to progress further into the game.
Graphically there could have been many improvements but once everything's moving at speed it's a lot less of an issue. There's only one mode of play in the title but I can't see any other way of playing Space Harrier, so it's not too much of a problem. In terms of enjoyment, this is the pick of the bunch for me.
Rating: 9/10
Final Thoughts
I very much doubt that Sega Classics collection was ever intended to be released in this way when the project was begun; had Sega not stopped their deal with D3 Publisher, these games may have remained as budget Japanese PS2 titles only. Because of this, the collection seems to lack focus with some games seemingly more altered than others. The graphical updates are also pretty inconsistent from game to game; Virtua Racing seems to be slightly worse than it's arcade version, yet Bonanza Bros. looks great.
Overall the only reasons to pick this collection up would be having an interest in playing Tant-R, as it was never released in Europe or America, or having a real interest in the Space Harrier series and wishing to play an updated version. Otherwise you may as well seek out a Mega Drive collection and try the original games that these budget versions were based on. The term classic seems to have been applied loosely to a few of the inclusions, where other games would have been much more worthy choices.
Rating: 64/100
Grade: C
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